Unlike many folks on my pages, nothing much stands out about Paul Anka except his long, successful career - as if that's not enough! Not spectacularly talented, hardly controversial, not even all that much to look at, Paul Anka has nevertheless out-earned and outlived virtually everyone from the early days of rock and roll. His track record on the charts is impressive (over 50 Top 100 hits including three number ones), but most were only marginally better than generic teen idol fodder. Only a few of his records still cross the airwaves - "Put Your Head On My Shoulder," "Puppy Love," perhaps "Diana" - and younger listeners will barely recognize his name. Still, the sheer weight of all those hits earns Anka a place in history.

But wait - there's more! Paul Anka has written some great songs for other artists. Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," Tom Jones' "She's A Lady," and Frank Sinatra's "My Way" (also waxed by Elvis Presley and Sid Vicious) are among Anka's portfolio. He is perhaps most famous as the composer of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show theme - sure evidence of the mainstream success Anka had achieved by the late 60's. He wasn't hip anymore, and his hit singles were few and far between, but he was packin' 'em in at the casinos on the Las Vegas strip....

Anka scored a major comeback in the 70's beginning with perhaps the most lubricious song ever recorded, "You're Having My Baby." It scarcely warrants discussion as an "oldie but goodie," but it's worth noting for the sheer scale of its bad taste. In the end, Paul Anka recorded hundreds of records for numerous labels, so you'll never get all the hits in one place (not that you really need them). Rhino's 30th Anniversary Collection is really quite sufficient and is really all I can recommend. It touches all the right bases, inevitably concluding with Anka's version of his own "My Way." [top of page]